Beach Treasure Hunt (1)

“Ahaha! Take this, Silena-ssi!”

-Whoosh!

“…Y-you brute of a human…!”

“Wait, Silena-yang! I’ll receive it, so don’t overexert yourself with the spike…!”

-Splash!

“Ahhk!”

“Ouch!”

“Aah, a-are you alright, Princess Seraphine, Silena-ssi…?!”

A beach volleyball tournament had begun against the backdrop of Pliana Beach.

Though calling it a “tournament” was a stretch-it was just girls pairing up to pass a rubber ball back and forth. It only resembled a competition because there were quite a few participants.

Given that all the participants were beautiful girls, their movements-running on the sandy shore and swinging their arms-formed a picturesque scene.

Ethan and I, having recently felt a rare sense of leisure, spent our time under the shade of a beach umbrella.

‘This is fun, in its own way.’

The sight of Natalie and Seraphine playing beach volleyball-something I’d never seen in the original game.

Though not as large as mine, both of them had ample busts, making their breast physics quite… aggressive. Even Silena and Celista were above average in that regard.

Thomas occasionally warned Natalie when her chest bounced a bit too much, though.

“N-Natalie…! I-I think it’d be better if you didn’t jump so high…?”

“Huh? Why? To spike, you have to jump as high as possible and slam it down!”

“N-no, it’s just… Never mind…”

Thomas flushed and stammered in response to Natalie’s innocent question.

Even the Hero, Gyeotmwa, looked somewhat embarrassed, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the spectacle. After all, it was his harem members playing, so he had to watch intently.

He probably knew that if he didn’t pay attention, Seraphine or Silena might lose interest, which would affect the party’s overall camaraderie.

‘Being a girl definitely has its perks in situations like this.’

At the very least, I could freely enjoy this blatant fanservice without drawing suspicion.

For the record, I had already been eliminated in the first round after pairing with Luke and losing to Natalie and Celista’s team.

This ridiculously large chest made jumping for beach volleyball a bit challenging. I could barely manage to receive the ball.

“Young Master Ethan, would you like some watermelon?”

“Ah, thanks, Lilith.”

“Would the Hero and Thomas-ssi like some as well? It’s chilled in cold water, so it’s very refreshing.”

“Thanks, Rosewood-yang.”

“…I’m fine. But I appreciate the offer.”

It was amusing how Thomas couldn’t even make eye contact with any of the girls except Natalie. He really gave off the vibe of a simple country boy.

…In my past life, I’d mostly seen him moping after losing his childhood friend to the Hero, since Natalie was his favorite heroine.

“Ah, Luke-yang, would you like some fruit?”

“Thank you, but I must decline. I’m currently attending to Princess Seraphine’s needs and guarding her.”

“…Ah, I see.”

No point in insisting if she didn’t want any, so I just sat next to Ethan, eating chilled watermelon while watching the beach volleyball match.

-Crunch.

“Silena-yang, receive the ball!”

“……”

-Wham!

“…Silena-yang! I told you I’d receive it!”

“Receiving is boring. You’ve been the only one spiking this whole time. I want to do it too.”

“I’ve given you chances multiple times, but you keep slamming it into our own side!”

“……Don’t remember.”

They say fighting is a sign of closeness, but Seraphine and Silena’s teamwork was atrocious despite their friendship.

“I-I’ll receive it!”

-Pang!

“Nice, Saintess Celista! Take this…!!”

-Bam!

Meanwhile, on the other side, Celista’s precise assists and Natalie’s powerful spikes showcased flawless teamwork. Unsurprisingly, Natalie and Celista’s team won the Hero Party Beach Volleyball Tournament.

…Well, it was just for fun, so there wasn’t any special prize for winning.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

“Everyone~! Are you all enjoying your time at the beach~?”

“”Yes~!!!!””

Day two of the Marine Biology Research class.

The female professor, once again wearing a skimpy sling-shot bikini that drew awkward stares, asked her question while the male students responded enthusiastically, as if flaunting their primal instincts.

“*Sigh*, do men really like women dressed so vulgarly? I just don’t get it.”

“Honestly, they just drool over big breasts and butts. Total perverts.”

Meanwhile, some female students whispered disapprovingly about the male students’ reactions.

Even I thought the professor’s swimsuit was a bit too revealing. Sure, Luminor Academy was an adult game, but a bikini that barely covered anything was still embarrassing.

At least the guys with partners tried not to stare too much or respond too eagerly.

As for me, I just casually observed the professor’s outfit without much thought. Even though I was a man in my past life, as a woman now, staring at another woman’s body wasn’t an issue.

‘Come to think of it, maybe I should’ve bought a sling-shot bikini instead.’

If it was just for an event swimsuit, a sling-shot bikini would’ve been better than a micro bikini-just as skimpy but more unexpected for Ethan.

Judging by the guys’ reactions here, Ethan probably wouldn’t have minded either…

‘Wait, what am I even thinking?’

Shaking off the random thoughts, I refocused on the professor’s words as she cheerfully explained today’s schedule from the beach podium.

“Now, today we’ll be doing something a little special~!”

She pulled out a small box from who-knows-where (her swimsuit had no pockets) and showed the students a small orb inside-likely enchanted.

Holding it up, she continued explaining today’s activity.

“Did everyone have fun yesterday? Some of you probably bonded more with friends you already knew, while others might’ve even made new connections here at Pliana Beach, right?”

“”Yes~!!!””

“At the beach, everyone’s hearts open up a little, so I doubt anyone failed to make at least one new friend or romantic interest~!”

“”Ahahahaha!!””

“”……””

Some students laughed along with the professor’s words, while others froze in panic, cautiously glancing around.

Not content with her merciless comment toward introverts, she then announced an even more terrifying assignment.

“Yesterday’s task was about socializing and making friends at the beach, so today’s task will be a treasure hunt with those friends~!”

“Treasure hunt…?”

“M-making friends…?”

“A plain treasure hunt would be boring, right? Digging through the sand alone or diving into the ocean by yourself isn’t much different from training. Don’t you agree?”

“”Y-yes…!””

“So today, you’ll form teams with your friends and collect as many of these enchanted orbs as possible~! The team that brings back the most might even get a good evaluation for this research class~?”

-Murmur, murmur…

The students buzzed with chatter at the sudden group assignment-one that required forming teams on the spot for a treasure hunt.

But the blonde, busty professor on the podium didn’t seem to care about their reactions, leisurely continuing her announcement.

“Teams must have at least 3 members and no more than 5~! Of course, having more members won’t penalize you, so it’s best to fill all five slots for better searching~!

The orbs are hidden within a 200-meter radius from this podium~! The deadline is before sunset today~! Good luck with your treasure hunt, everyone~!!”

“Hey, James! Remember the names of those girls we hung out with yesterday? We gotta find them first…!”

“U-um, anyone want to team up with me…? A-anyone is fine, please…!”

Students scrambled to form teams, prioritizing meeting the minimum requirements over the actual task.

“We already planned to meet up with the Hero Party today, right, Lilith?”

“Yes, Young Master Ethan.”

“Let’s regroup with them first. Teaming up with strangers would be worse.”

“I agree, Young Master Ethan.”

After escaping the chaotic crowd, Ethan and I quickly made our way to the Hero Party’s group.